Keyser_Soze Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chakoo Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Yay more yakuza!!! I’m guessing the location is Hawaii? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 5 minutes ago, chakoo said: Yay more yakuza!!! I’m guessing the location is Hawaii? Yeah - it's Hawaii. I'm guessing the Ichiban portion will be in Hawaii and the Kazuma portion will be in Japan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Next gen dick physics coming in 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 RGG Studios released this helpful information to clear up any confusion regarding the game's name. Maybe. I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted June 16, 2023 Author Share Posted June 16, 2023 They could have just said nothing and it would have been fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted September 20, 2023 Share Posted September 20, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted September 20, 2023 Share Posted September 20, 2023 Paging @chakoo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chakoo Posted September 20, 2023 Share Posted September 20, 2023 Yeah I saw the presentation last night. I went a head today and got my pre-order for an Asian physical copy on the LAD: the man who erased his name (since no US physical release). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 3 hours ago, chakoo said: Yeah I saw the presentation last night. I went a head today and got my pre-order for an Asian physical copy on the LAD: the man who erased his name (since no US physical release). Dear God - I finally watched the "Gameplay Reveal" trailer and that has to be the most BAT SHIT INSANE piece of media I've ever seen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chakoo Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 11 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said: Dear God - I finally watched the "Gameplay Reveal" trailer and that has to be the most BAT SHIT INSANE piece of media I've ever seen I'd say, look forward to LAD 9 when they find a way to be even more bat shit crazy. It's a hallmark of the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth brings the party to Hawaii WWW.EUROGAMER.NET Like A Dragon has long been defined by its iconic nightlife location of Kamurocho, with all the seediness and criminali… Quote Most of my time with the demo wasn't spent fighting, however, but rather just wandering around its huge map. Here, instead of the series' typically awkward fashion of running on foot (an option that's become less viable for an older, huffing, puffing Kiryu), you now get wheels. Yes, along with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, 2024 is evidently going to be the year of the Segway. In Ichiban's case, just the press of a button causes one of these machines to materialise at his feet, and it can also be set to auto-cycle. Even more exciting, however, was another mode of traversal that really got me hooked: a kind of Crazy Taxi offering designed around working for a version of Deliveroo. Racing against the clock, I had to collect food items while on a bicycle then deliver these orders to hungry customers, all while performing tricks like a BMXing Tony Hawk. There's a skill to it too, so when you perform front, back or side spins, your wheels still land on the ground first and don't cause you to lose control on a corner. Maybe it's the noisy fonts and over-the-top voiceovers, but there's typically so much character and charm to the series' mini-games that they feel anything but throwaway. (It also helps that Ichiban always sounds down for whatever nonsense that comes his way, compared to the more stoic Kiryu.) It also feels a bit like Sega's creatives, with their decades of institutional knowledge in the dying art of the arcade, are still looking for any kind of outlet. It's in these moments - short but memorable mini-games in a much larger game - that fans get a reminder of the company's heritage, and it's now the easiest way to play classic Sega arcade experiences like Sega Bass Fishing (though I shall only acknowledge it by its Japanese title Get Bass!) or SpikeOut (the Nagoshi arcade brawler with a direct lineage to Yakuza, no less). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted September 26, 2023 Share Posted September 26, 2023 I Played 20 Minutes Of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth And It’s Already My New Favourite Game WWW.THEGAMER.COM Infinite Wealth’s turn-based combat is shockingly dynamic and the game reinterprets a whole new setting with humour and attention to detail Quote I can’t call myself a die-hard Like A Dragon fan – I’ve only ever completed Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami 1, I swear I’m working on it I’m just busy – but when the doors opened to press on the first day of Tokyo Game Show, I booked it straight to the Like A Dragon floor demos. There was nothing I was more excited to see than the two additions to the series that we’ll be getting in the next few months, and I was not disappointed. Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name seemed more or less the same as Yakuza 0 but with cool gadgets to use in combat, a surprisingly full closet of clothes to dress Kiryu in, and FMV clips interactions with caberet hostesses. Even if the game had just been Yakuza 0 reskinned, it would have been a good game, since Yakuza 0 is a classic. Quote But there’s also just so much to love. You can throw up shakas at strangers on the street, which with certain people, will immediately make you friends. (This is sometimes how making friends as an adult feels in real life.) The game has a ‘bond bingo’ mechanic, where hanging out with your party and hearing them talk about certain things ticks a box on a friendship bingo card and makes you closer, which is a surprisingly funny and endearing way to track how tight you are with a certain character. The series’ campiness is alive and well, directing much of its sense of humour at American tourists now, who are named and portrayed, satirically, as walking stereotypes. You, hilariously, have a Segway, which you can use to zoom down the sidewalks of Honolulu instead of walking. It feels unbelievably good to weave between groups of people, though I did feel a little guilty for being inconsiderate of both locals and my fellow tourists. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted October 15, 2023 Share Posted October 15, 2023 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is even more bonkers than you can imagine, and I want more, now WWW.ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN.COM RPS have played a short demo of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, ahead of its release date on January 26th 2024, and we'… Quote As Ichiban and co get their bearings in the sunny seaside region of Honolulu, they only had to whisper the word ‘Roman’ before they got accosted by “Unpleasant Thug” no.1 out of the probable thousands you’ll be biffing in the game’s turn-based battles. Returning LAD players will feel right at home here, with each party member once again adopting a rough RPG class that’s themed around their job. Ichiban still has his razor-wire-adorned baseball bat from the previous game in the series, for example, though how he got that through airport security god only knows. Tomizawa, meanwhile, was a taxi driver in a former life, and some of his special attacks will see him lob wrenches and four-way cross wheels at his foes. Chitose, on the other hand, is a maid, but also a former ballet dancer, and she can restore your party’s health with a flourishing tea service while also pirouetting and swan diving into enemies with her lethal pointed toes. Old timer Kiryu also fits right into the pack as a traditional brawler – as you’d probably expect given his real-time brawls in the mainline Yakuza series. It’s a little strange not immediately reaching for nearby bicycles to hoist into thug flesh, but you can press left, right and up on the d-pad to make him adopt different stances, just like the good old days. His Yakuza stance, for example, lets him perform Heat Actions, while Rush increases his range of movement but only lets him squeeze in two basic attacks as a result. Finally, there’s Beast, which sacrifices movement to beef up his attack and defence. It’s a neat melding of the two different fighting styles from the Yakuza and LAD strands of the series, and seeing Kiryu execute follow-up punches alongside the rest of the LAD cast can’t help but wrestle a gleeful smile out of you as a player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted October 16, 2023 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is one of the most ridiculous JRPGs I have ever played | GamesRadar+ WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM Preview | The new Like a Dragon is outrageous, kind-hearted, and utterly delightful Quote Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a chaos generator. Where else could you call a couple of crustaceans into a barroom brawl, dispatching corrupt cops with the devastating Pincer Pandemonium routine. Or learn a new combat class by becoming friends with that dolphin you meet after taking a dip in the ocean. Perhaps you take a break from the crunchy storyline, centring on the importance of friends and family at the crossroads of life and death, to hit the town – a little karaoke here, a little fast-food delivery there. An old man riding the trolley system will teach you the secret art of snapping photos of all the local sickos. Infinite Wealth is a truly ridiculous JRPG. It's also a culture shock. Say what you will about the Yakuza series, but exploring the dense outlay of Kamurocho has always been a highlight. Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio does fantastic work leveraging a sense of legitimacy into its larger-than-life world, infusing it with a sense of character and personality so rarely seen replicated outside of this franchise. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth takes a big swing by electing to hold its changing of the guard – between protagonist Ichiban Kasuga and a retiring Kazuma Kiryu – in the super chill streets of Hawaii. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted October 25, 2023 Author Share Posted October 25, 2023 They got Dark Cloud in Like a Dragon now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbob42 Posted October 25, 2023 Share Posted October 25, 2023 I like Ichiban way more than Kiryu, and the turn-based combat way more than the real-time stuff, plus I like the stupid shit way more than the overly serious crime drama about which idiot can roll their Rs the hardest, so this is like custom built for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the longest Yakuza game yet: "If you go at it continuously, you'll get sick" | GamesRadar+ WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM Best not to marathon this one Quote Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be the longest Yakuza game to date. In a new interview with Game Watch (and translated by Automaton Media), Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama dubbed Infinite Wealth a "monster-class game longer than anything we’ve made so far," and something that can't be completed in just one or two all-nighters. "This means that a lot of people are going to hesitate to play the game or will end up having it wait on their shelves. I found the possibility of that kind of outcome sad, so I thought, we have to get everyone hyped up enough to play it," Yokoyama added of Infinite Wealth's length. "We have to get people to play the game in about a week or a month, even at the cost of their health, which is why it’s our duty as creators to generate enough to be excited about. I've thought this way for the past year or two – for a game like Infinite Wealth, we have to get a festival going on. It would feel kind of rude to just drop such a long game and be done with it," Yokoyama continued with a laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 With the amount of games this series releases, not sure “the longest game ever” is on my Yakuza wishlist 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser_Soze Posted November 16, 2023 Author Share Posted November 16, 2023 7 hours ago, Brian said: With the amount of games this series releases, not sure “the longest game ever” is on my Yakuza wishlist Will it get higher review scores because it's longer, like The Man Who Erased His Name got lower scores because it was short? 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxEvil AshxX Posted November 16, 2023 Share Posted November 16, 2023 I hate that I want to play this game, because I've tried the series multiple times and could never get into them. But it's so batshit wacky and unlike anything anyone else is putting out right now. I do kinda wish I could play through the stories of all the games without some of the extra stuff. Like, I liked Yakuza 0 well enough until I had to start managing the night club. I hated that shit and it killed my interest in the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chakoo Posted November 16, 2023 Share Posted November 16, 2023 17 hours ago, Brian said: With the amount of games this series releases, not sure “the longest game ever” is on my Yakuza wishlist Yeah agreed. I find the Yakuza games long enough as is. Their length tends to make the mid section of the game drag on for way too long. I think the story would benefit from a tighter, slightly shorter, game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted November 16, 2023 Share Posted November 16, 2023 55 minutes ago, chakoo said: Yeah agreed. I find the Yakuza games long enough as is. Their length tends to make the mid section of the game drag on for way too long. I think the story would benefit from a tighter, slightly shorter, game. If they want a longer Yakuza game then the formula needs to change. The current design and small areas like Kamurocho does not lend itself to a long form game. I rather Yakuza focus on the story up front and then add some end game content that people can spend more time on if they want a longer experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth details minigames - Gematsu WWW.GEMATSU.COM Publisher SEGA and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have released new information and screenshots for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth introducing the countless minigames users will be able to experien… Quote Publisher SEGA and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have released new information and screenshots for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth introducing the countless minigames users will be able to experience across Hawaii and Japan. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chakoo Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 Oh shit.. SpikeOut and Virtua Fighter 3tb!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkableriots Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 This would be a great gift! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Final previews: Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Is Packed With Tons Of Content--And More Kiryu Than You Might Expect - GameSpot WWW.GAMESPOT.COM Like a Dragon’s newest installment looks to be packed full of things to do and emotional moments for longtime fans of the series. Quote After trying Infinite Wealth, it was hard not to reflect on how far this series has come, all the places it has gone, and everything all of its characters have been through. This feels like it is going to be special, and I am so excited to see it through. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – The Final Preview - IGN WWW.IGN.COM We played 3.5 hours of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth ahead of its January 26 release date, and found it to be a great balance between the past and future of the Like a Dragon franchise. Quote In many ways, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a watershed moment for franchise. It's quite likely a final send off for the cancer-stricken underworld legend Kiryu, and the official induction ceremony for Kasuga as Kiryu's successor in the series moving forward. It's no surprise, then, that RGG would have put an immense amount of time and effort to make such a massive game that ups the ante on the nearly 20 years of titles that came before it while nailing the balance of silly and serious. I have no reason to believe this game isn't gonna rule. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Is A Super-Sized Slice Of Paradise KOTAKU.COM The Yakuza dudes are back for more shenanigans and minigames Quote But apart from the really enormous shark, the parts of Infinite Wealth that really stuck with me are harder to talk about without getting into spoiler territory. When I've evangelized about this series to friends and colleagues in the past, I've advised them not to worry about the story too much, and just let the batshit experience wash over them. Spending a few hours with the latest game in the series has made me realize that—oh no—I'm more invested than I thought. I'm too invested. This Hawaiian-style installment and The Man Who Erased His Name are telegraphing a "seriously, for real this time" torch-passing from Kiryu to Ichiban, and I don't think I can handle it. What if the real Infinite Wealth was the friends we made along the way? Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Preview - Noisy Pixel NOISYPIXEL.NET The rise in popularity of the Yakuza series in the West was the result of some clever remasters and rereleases of the series from developer RGG. However, in a Quote For all of the chances that RGG has taken, introducing a dual protagonist, new setting, and even adding in a sim element for good measure, among other new updates, I can say Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is by far the most ambitious entry to date. However, it still retains the characters and narrative that fans care about. The new setting puts the spotlight on this as Ichiban is out of his element in a strange new place, but I'm sure if we all stay diligent, we'll see him and Kiryu through the difficult times that lay ahead, and have sh*t ton of fun in the process. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth hands-on report: a vacation worth taking BLOG.PLAYSTATION.COM A hop over to Hawaii packs in plenty of charm, bucket list unlocks, a building sim, and much more. Quote Yakuza is a storied franchise that keeps on giving. Each installment in the series leading to 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon has offered something new and innovative, along with consistently satisfying expansions to the evergrowing story of main characters Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga. I'm glad to say that after a hands-on preview of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the trend continues. There is almost too much here for Yakuza fans, both new and old, to sink their teeth in and enjoy. This latest entry features a fusion of the series' original beat-em-up and current turn-based roleplaying style, an island-building mode, and even more charm than ever. Preview: Animal Crossing on PS5, PS4 Made a Reality in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth WWW.PUSHSQUARE.COM We pay a visit to Dondoko Island - From serving noodles in Yakuza 5 to the go-kart races of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the Yak... Quote With the chance to refine its turn-based combat system, introduce another new location, and tell two connected stories at once, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth feels like the most ambitious entry yet — and playing for roughly four hours proves it. There's more to see and do than ever before, improved fights, and the wild and wacky side of the series in abundance to match the serious tones of Kiryu's potentially final tale. No matter how it ends, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is shaping up to be an essential experience for anyone with even a passing interest in the franchise. This is the biggest and most important one for some time. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has me feeling like a tourist - Preview | RPG Site WWW.RPGSITE.NET Late last year, we got the chance to play an extended demo of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth during a Sega-coordinated preview event. Quote Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is shaping up to be an exciting new entry in this long-running series. It takes its new leading man and has him go off to exciting new places I'd never imagine this series would ever go to. For its classic hero, it seems to be that they're setting up a more somber and retrospective experience. Kiryu's chapter felt tender in how they addressed his legacy, and I'm excited to see how they'll tackle certain subplots. Sakamoto also mentioned during the introduction that Kiryu's part of the story tried to tackle the core theme of "What does it mean to be happy?" and that resonated with me. What does that truly mean? Was it visiting new places or being at home with those you love? What if that isn't an option? What are you left to do but wander the city streets all alone, homesick, and missing your family? If Kiryu is taking any advice, I say that another big bowl of ramen certainly did me a lot of good on that cold, late night walk back to my hotel room. Is LAD: Infinite Wealth the most enticing Yakuza yet? | Preview WWW.VG247.COM Yakuza is such a long-running series that the big question is always the same: Do I need to play the other Yakuza games… Quote You can skip fights with weak mobs by initiating a "smackdown" when they catch you, find collectables and missions more easily on the map, fast travel and scoot around the world more quickly, and unlock new classes pretty much whenever you like. It reminds me of the jump from Persona 4 to Persona 5 - which Infinite Wealth and Like a Dragon obviously take a lot of inspiration from - but takes things further, which I'm a big fan of. All this means Infinite Wealth feels smooth gameplay-wise. I hate when (especially turn-based) games get bogged down in glacially-paced systems, and with loads of random battles and unvoiced text conversations to mash through. Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth would have been massively at risk of that without the attention paid to speeding things up, moment-to-moment. On top of that, there are tons of extra little systems I didn't get a chance to fully explore, including incredibly deep-looking parodies of Pokemon battles and an Animal Crossing-style island sim. But really, while the early signs are promising, everything will hang on the strength of the central story, which we won't get a sense of until we're fully let loose as both Ichiban and Kiryu. Playing Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth feels like walking into a restaurant where the staff already knows my order | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM After spending just a couple hours in Honolulu City, I already feel at home in the series again. Quote The showstopper of my hands-on preview of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth was a boss battle with a shark, so the series which has historically made me fistfight tigers, bears, and an excavator is not getting any less bombastic. It's also not getting any smaller, developer RGG said, and during the hands-on preview session I was allowed to spend several hours exploring Honolulu City, a map bigger than Kamurocho, Sotenbori, or Yokohama have ever been. The goofballs quests and heart-wrenching main story haven't changed here, I'm glad to see, so while Like A Dragon: Infinite wealth is definitely 'just' more Yakuza, it's a lot more Yakuza. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth's Dondoko Island is Animal Crossing with baseball bats WWW.ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN.COM We got hands-on with Infinite Wealth's Dondoko Island mode which is an optional Animal Crossing parody we'll lose most … Quote We got our first look at Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth's Dondoko Island at last year's Xbox Partner showcase. Right as it dropped, I was in New York giving the Animal Crossing-esque minigame a go myself, albeit for a quickfire half hour of bashing rubbish bags with a baseball bat and plonking a urinal on the dirt to satisfy a tutorial. Still, in that brief time I've come away thinking I could lose much of my life to the promise of converting a polluted island into an idyll with the power of abs and friendship. There is the strong possibility of a grind. But hey, it's optional! LAD producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto says that Dondoko Island opens up in Chapter 6 of your adventure, where you befriend a turtle and events transport you to the island's dilapidated shores. The setup is simple: Dondoko has been ravaged by pollution and garbage and it's your job to make it a habitable place for yourself, its wildlife, and the fuzzy goofs who have your back in your Sujimon team. The end goal? Transform it from a feeble one-star heap of gunk to a five-star resort, where tourists pour in to peruse its newfound convenience stores and bars and, fingers crossed, cat cafes. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the next great Pokémon game WWW.ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN.COM Infinite Wealth's Hawaii isn't just gorgeous, it's a stage to become the best Sujimon trainer there ever was. Quote Having spent some time in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth's Hawaii, I've come to realise that it's a wonderful place, home to trams that'll let you see the sights and soak in the warm breeze. But moreso than that, it's home to the previous game's Pokémon parody, Sujimon, which has now kicked into overdrive. From what I can tell, Infinite Wealth is as much a Pokémon trainers paradise as it is a game about the Japanese criminal underworld. I'm sold. In Yakuza: Like A Dragon there's a point where you bump into a professor who tasks you with cataloguing all the enemies you face in battle. He refers to them as "Sujimon", which is an abbreviation of "Super Jittery Men", because their weirdness… give you the shivers? Anyway, in LAD your Sujimon are relegated to portraits in a grid, like little tick boxes that say, "Yes, I have beaten this glowstick-wielding otaku senseless with a baseball bat and tongs". Besides pulling up the credentials in the menus, they're more of a means to a pat on the back from the professor and maybe a nice trophy while you're at it. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Hiroyuki Sakamoto Interview - “We Don’t Want Kiryu To Rot Away” WWW.THEGAMER.COM Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto answered some of our most burning questions during a Q&A. Quote Infinite Wealth sees the Like a Dragon (formerly known as Yakuza) series head outside of Japan for the first time, arriving on the beachy shores of Hawaii. The team decided on Hawaii due to its large Japanese population, but chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto explains that while Covid stopped the team from initially visiting Hawaii to research the area, it was the only real option to tell this story and fortunately, travel restrictions lifting enabled them to go with their first choice. “The main thing that was important was that Kasuga Ichiban's mother would find a place where she could go into hiding,” he says. “We were floating around ideas like Bali, for example. We weren't really serious about alternatives. We were just trying to get the Hawaii thing to work out. Luckily, it did. We weren't necessarily very serious about pursuing those other options.” Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth - As Much As I Love Kiryu, It's Time To Say Goodbye WWW.THEGAMER.COM Kiryu doesn't deserve a sad ending in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but it's time for him to hand the reins over to Kasuga fully. Quote During our hands-on with the game in New York City, we checked out the Bucket List feature that has Kiryu taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting locations that remind him — and us — of different moments from the series. Checking off items from Kiryu’s Bucket List will regain more of his strength for his fighting styles, and likely break your heart in the process as you uncover nostalgic sights and view screenshots from past titles. Having this ode to Kiryu’s history as you explore emphasises the feeling of the end of an era for the series. During a cutscene, Nanba tells Kiryu, “If you don’t want to go through any treatment, I respect that. It’s your body, you do what you want with it.” This seemed to drive home further the point that Kiryu wouldn’t be getting a happy ending in Infinite Wealth. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Is The First Game I'm Afraid To Review WWW.THEGAMER.COM Dondoko Island alone will keep me occupied for ages in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, so how am I going to play everything in a short time frame? Quote Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the game I’m most looking forward to in 2024, and yet, since previewing it in New York City a couple of months ago, it’s also now the game I’m most afraid of reviewing. The Yakuza series has always offered fans enough side content to keep them busy past the final chapter with minigames and substories, and Infinite Wealth is already stacking up to be the largest game. Not only in terms of these minigames and side content, but the map size itself. There’s also a new feature that both delights me and scares me the most about reviewing — Dondoko Island. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Hands-on Preview - RGG Studio Goes Hawaii GAMERANT.COM Game Rant plays a brief preview of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth that both excited us further for the release and broke our hearts all the same. Quote If nothing else, the Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth preview highlighted that RGG Studio's ability to craft a city has sharpened, its zany gameplay and stories are still there, and its ability to handle humor and heartbreak is alive and well. Moreover, the franchise will continue to try new things like Dondoko Island, and any possible outcomes for the game's overarching narrative and direction aren't off the table. Yakuza: Like a Dragon sets a high bar, and if this preview is any indication of the full game experience, then Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is set to clear that bar by a mile. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will make you cry | Digital Trends WWW.DIGITALTRENDS.COM Whether its tears of laughter or sorrow, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth doesn't seem like it'll leave a dry eye in the house based on what we've played so far. Quote Kasuga’s story has its own emotional heart, as he’s in Hawaii looking for his long-lost mother who’s hiding out from the Yakuza. Those two intertwining tales look to build a rich story about two men coping with major life changes in different ways. Kasuga is the unyielding optimist who gets by with the support of his friends, so it makes sense that his Hawaiian escapades would feel bright and sunny. Meanwhile, Kiryu’s chapter is more morose, emphasizing his loaner attitude as he refuses treatment. Can Kiryu learn a thing or two from Kasuga as he fights the hardest battle of his life? That’s the story I’m eager to see play out in the full RPG. If it’s not clear from all of this, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is already feeling like the series’ ultimate climax — at least until its next entry. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is poised to top everything that made the breakout Yakuza: Like a Dragon such an instant classic, bringing even wilder extras and more emotionally resonant storytelling. While 2024 may only be days old, we’ve already got our first can’t-miss game on the horizon. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the best of both worlds for the ambitious series WWW.GAMESHUB.COM We played Sega's upcoming RPG and spoke with producer Sakamoto about embracing the new changes to the series. Quote Playing Infinite Wealth made it clear that the series has come a long way since its humble beginnings. The series has grown into a major franchise for Sega, and the next RPG looks to cement its staying power, featuring a loveable cast and emotionally stirring story that showcases just what makes the Like a Dragon series a fun and exciting experience. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Promises to Be a True Epic - Paste Magazine WWW.PASTEMAGAZINE.COM Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth continues Sega's sprawling epic series, this time taking a detour to Hawaii. Quote My favorite anecdote from my time with Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth goes as follows: after some time strolling down the beaches of Honolulu City as Kasuga Ichiban, I realized I could shake down palm trees for extra goodies. If you’ve played a Like A Dragon game before, you likely know that small detours like this yield the likes of healing items or things to sell for money, and the same was true of these coconut-bearing palm trees. That was, of course, until I shook one and, rather than being greeted by coconuts, knocked loose a whole man from the tree. For disturbing the outlandishly placed man, I was greeted with anger and eventually violence. In that iconic bit of text that flashes before every fight, his title was finally revealed: “Asshole.” I laughed to myself, thought, “Hey, they said it, not me,” and took him out. I want to tell you that a single moment like this encapsulates the hours that I got to spend with Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and the hours I’ve sunk into similar games in the series over the last several years. I’d be lying if I did though. You see, that’s only really part of Like A Dragon’s truth. Its essence is—quite manically and wonderfully—all over the place. About an hour after this moment of my preview, I was in a completely different segment of the game, in a completely different locale to the Hawaiian paradise in which I’d encountered the coconut asshole, and experiencing an entirely different, and markedly somber moment in the life of Kiryu Kazuma, the franchise’s most iconic and recurring protagonist. A half hour before that, I was cleaning up a resort by smashing bags of trash with a baseball bat in a full-blown minigame that satirizes Animal Crossing. A half hour later, I killed a shark slightly smaller than the megayacht I was fighting on. It’d be a miscalculation to suggest Like A Dragon has its feet in two doors at any given time. It is more accurate to say it is its own grandiose and unseemly universe and that we should all be so grateful to be along for the ride. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth preview - family values | TechRadar WWW.TECHRADAR.COM A dragon’s quest Quote Even after just five hours with a preview build of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, it became clear to me that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG) has iterated on almost everything that made the original Yakuza: Like a Dragon so remarkable, all while preserving the charm, whimsy and soulfulness at the series’ heart. A Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) wearing the skin of a third-person crime-based action game, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth revels in its absurdity, inviting you into its madcap yet emotional world with a smile and a wink. Crucially, I never felt like this zany, imaginative showdown detracted from the poignant section I’d played before. Infinite Wealth is so earnest and so confident that you feel compelled to take everything it presents to you at face value. Mirroring life itself, Infinite Wealth encourages you to take the good with the bad, the silly with the serious. This is the ace up Like a Dragon’s sleeve, and it warmed my heart to see that Infinite Wealth is as brazen as ever in playing the series’ winning card. I can’t wait to see the full product when it releases on January 26. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth protagonist deals with aging and illness because he's 'not Superman' says producer | TechRadar WWW.TECHRADAR.COM Hard lessons Quote At a hands-on preview event in New York, producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto opened up about how one of the game's protagonists, Kazuma Kiryu, battles cancer during the game's main story. "At every release, Kiryu actually gets older as the game progresses," said Sakamoto. "We don't do this thing where the characters are the same age all the time - they're not Superman. We're following those characters aging, getting older, and hitting those different life stages. That's the story that we want to tell. Everybody goes through different stages in life and experiences different [...] problems and issues. We want to illustrate that and tell a very realistic life experience story." "A Nearly Boundless Amount Of Content " - Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Hands-On Preview SCREENRANT.COM Infinite Wealth is impressively expansive fun. Quote Neither this fight nor any of the previous encounters throughout the preview proved exceedingly difficult, but that's not necessarily an indicator of the title's overall difficulty. The hands-on time spent with the game gave an impressively expansive overview of activities, from the classic assortment of Like a Dragon minigames and the new Dondoko Island to in-depth combat and multiple emotional stories. The several hours spent with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth during the event barely dipped into everything it has to offer, and it's clear that there's a nearly boundless amount of content for players to explore. Hands-on: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is huge, but doesn't lose its heart WWW.DESTRUCTOID.COM No sophomore slump for Ichiban Quote With Infinite Wealth, RGG is trying to bridge a gap while also making the biggest version of Like a Dragon it’s made yet. It is an audacious attempt, taking a series known for its huge side-game variety, and making an even-larger version of it. But with how RGG is building up on its foundations and expanding in really surprising, emotional ways, I’m optimistic. There are some high hopes for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and the massive RPG sequel is swinging for the fences. It makes me fear for the amount of hours I’ll need to put into it, but at the very least, Infinite Wealth seems like it’s going to make the most of those hours. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth preview - Time for newcomers to see what the fuss is about WWW.GGRECON.COM We played Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and it looks as though 2024 is off to a flying start with Kiryu and Ichiban. Quote The Yakuza franchise as a whole may not have gripped me initially, but Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth has created a gateway for not just myself, but others who may favour different genre styles and gameplay to delve into Ryu Ga Gotoku’s huge catalogue of prior works. After my guided tour throughout Infinite Wealth, I’m itching to join back up with Ichiban and the gang to explore at my own pace and in my own way. I hear Dondoku Island is lovely at this time of year. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Hands-On Preview – Ticking Off My Bucket List PRESS-START.COM.AU Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Hands-On Preview – Ticking Off My Bucket List Quote Rather than end my few hours with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on as dour a note as all that though, I wrapped up by doing something I’d been desperate to ever since I saw it in the game’s promotional trailers – fighting a giant shark. With no actual context as to where the fight fits in the game’s story and with a full party of five including Kasuga joined by Adachi, Joongi Han, Chitose and Eric, I was allowed to let loose on “Giant Shark,” the Tyrant of the Tides on the back of a boat. I won, too, so take that the ocean. All told, there really seems to be a lot on offer here, with what could easily amount to the most expansive and content-packed Like a Dragon game yet with its most diverse cast and locations and the best versions of so many beloved mechanics and ideas. It’s the stuff that’s brand-new and continually creative that’s the most exciting of course, and I’m super keen to see how much more there is to discover when the full game lands. Preview: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Is the First PS5 Must-Play of 2024 WWW.PUSHSQUARE.COM Our thoughts after four hours of play - Is there a better way to start the year than playing a new Yakuza / Like a Dragon ... Quote With the chance to refine its turn-based combat system, introduce another new location, and tell two connected stories at once, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth feels like the most ambitious entry yet — and playing for roughly four hours proves it. There's more to see and do than ever before, improved fights, and the wild and wacky side of the series in abundance to match the serious tones of Kiryu's potentially final tale. No matter how it ends, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is shaping up to be an essential experience for anyone with even a passing interest in the franchise. This is the biggest and most important one for some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbob42 Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Alright, since my last post here I've completed the entire series (sans Ishin and the zombie one) to date. My opinion is pretty much the same. It only differs in that realizing that the games were less "serious crime drama" (which is the impression 0 gives very strongly) and more "silly soap opera for teen boys" made the plots of each more enjoyable, as they get real stupid. In 0, they tended to really separate the stupid and the serious, which made it kind of feel like two different games. But once you get into the main series, you realize that they don't separate the stupid from the serious, they separate the stupid (the plot) from the silly (the side content). Since it's customary to do so once you play through a series, I guess I'll a brief list of where the games stand, these don't have spoilers, I just wanted to make the list smaller. Each one's just a brief opinion: Like A Dragon Spoiler Fun story, having a party makes the journey less lonely, the turn-based combat is fun and still feels like a brawl in a lot of ways, and does actually have some depth later on. Has a proper postgame dungeon! And then the real version of that dungeon for grindy boys! Excellent ending scene with fantastic acting in either language, great emotion, great subtle details on characters to sell said emotions, still kind of dumb like every Yakuza game, but Ichiban serves that stupidity well and comes across as a human, whereas 99.99% of the time, Kiryu comes across as an invincible, emotionless fightbot with a small soft spot for orphans. Also it has a fully functional kart racing minigame, as opposed to that shitty ass slot car racing "minigame" in other titles. Kiwami 2 Spoiler Good ending, feels really modern. Watched the original PS2 ending on Youtube and it was beat for beat the same, was ahead of its time if you ask me. Glad I installed the restored music pack because I think the somewhat more generic and cheesy song they picked for the ending in Kiwami 2 over the original was less impactful. Was wondering why, when I went to rewatch the ending on Youtube they were all playing different music -- until I watched the PS2 ending and was like "Ah, that's the good shit." Gaiden Spoiler Maybe recency bias, but I really liked the upgraded arsenal Kiryu gets. Was very sick of the standard kit used in every game for so long. All the gadgets he gets are extremely stupid and very fun to use. It's also the only time in the series (at the end) where he comes across as an actual human with strong emotions. It's only for a minute or so but it's more than the single tear we got once in every 5 games prior. I also felt like the side content was pretty fun, I did all the little Akame missions. Yakuza 5 Spoiler I was real tired of playing as Kiryu, so getting a bunch of different characters to play as that I like was a lot of fun! Yakuza 0 Spoiler For others, this would likely be higher, but for me it just dragged on so long, and as my first Yakuza game that really hurt my opinion on it. Also "learning" how Majima came to be how he is felt abrupt, weird and dumb. But the gameplay was pretty decent and the sidequests were novel. It's definitely one of the most critical games for fleshing out the story and giving you an understanding of Kiryu and Majima. Yakuza 4 Spoiler Like 5, I enjoyed playing as new characters here. Really like Akiyama, and I believe this one had you exploring rooftops and the underground, which really expanded the small world in a fun way. Shame they had that weird fuckin' scene with Saejima that Kiryu responded with in such an amazingly stupid way that I felt like he was 10x worse than Saejima at that moment, at least Seajima had some semblance of a reason. Kiryu had no fuckin' excuse. Yakuza 3 Spoiler Many hate 3 because the combat is pretty limp and you spend a good portion of the game in Okinawa with your orphans, but after 0, 1 and 2 I found this immensely refreshing and really enjoyed my time there, and barely remember what happened after the orphanage stuff until you come back later. Kiryu just trying to live and enjoy life was nice. Kiwami 1 Spoiler Honestly, at the time I liked Kiwami 1 more than 0 just because of how short it was. In the end, though, it's really shallow and simple and tells a pretty dumb story. Majima Everywhere was the best part of it. It's not bad, but it's not remarkable. I also really enjoyed the special trial for Infinite Wealth. Tried not to play many minigames as I like those to be a surprise, but the combat revamp seems interesting and like it adds additional depth, and the characters seem good. Still weird to have Yong Yea be Kiryu, and I was hoping Kiryu would play a smaller part, but whatever. I ain't playing with Japanese Ichiban. English Ichiban is fucking hilarious. He's got all the character that Kiryu lacks. Maybe that's why they chose Yong Yea for Kiryu. He's the monotone drone that man deserves. I just realized I forgot to add 6 to the list. It's probably be above 0, but I ain't fixing it now! It was a fun little game with an exceptionally stupid twist and the writers are clearly cowards. 1 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chakoo Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Nice list/impressions of the games @Xbob42. I know you said you didn't play them but I would recommend not touching dead souls. The gun combat was so bad for it's time that playing it now would be worse (ignoring that this game is also ps3 only still). Are you considering playing the two Judgement games or Fist of the North Star? I enjoyed my time with the judgement games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chakoo Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 About LAD:IW. The game looks crazy and I'm seriously considering picking up a PS Portal or PC Handheld so I can play it (I rarely have much time to sit down in front of a TV to play my ps5 but it's easier to get some time in here and there at the end of the day when relaxing in bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.